Climatic and Anthropogenic Influences on Radial Growth of Scots Pine at Hanvedsmossen, a Raised Peat Bog, in South Central Sweden

Past studies of the climatic influence on tree growth at peat bogs in northern latitudes have shown weak correlation between annual tree-ring widths and climatic parameters during the growing season. At Hanvedsmossen, a raised peat bog in south central Sweden, tree-ring width chronologies from one drained and one undrained growth site, as well as one dry site outside the bog, were compared to meteorological records. Low temperatures, which means less evaporation, as well as high precipitation appear to be inhibiting pine growth at the undisturbed bog site as the trees are sensitive to changes in the local water table. Drainage causes an instant increase in annual tree growth for approximately 10 years. If draining is maintained, the response to climate of the pines resembles that of pines growing on mineral soils. The variance in annual tree-ring growth explained by temperature/precipitation or both was low for the entire lengths of all chronologies, but high for some analysed subperiods; the significant months changed with time. The reason for this seems to be that pines at Hanvedsmossen are growing in a region where precipitation and temperature are less limiting to tree growth than at higher and lower latitudes.